Oxygen

"So how does space kill you?"

Writer: Jamie Mathieson
Format: TV
Broadcast: 13th May 2017
Series: 10.05

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

The Twelfth Doctor, Bill and Nardole investigate a strange space station, but are interrupted by walking dead spacesuits... will they make it out live? And they'll soon discover just how much oxygen actually costs...

Verdict

Oxygen was a superb episode and was definitely the best of Series 10 thus far. I'm pretty sure I thought the same thing back on broadcast but I couldn't help but repeat my praise and admiration for it here. Jamie Mathieson is a favoured writer of mine and he delivered another stellar script here. He not only took capitalism to space, but he made space scary. I'd argue that's something that actually hasn't really happened before in Doctor Who since Katarina's death in The Daleks' Master Plan. At least, nothing on the scale that was seen here. Our TARDIS heroes were in genuine danger and that was brilliant to see. It was gripping and that's exactly what you want. I thought the obvious anti-capitalism themes were very good and it provided the basis for an excellent episode. The concept of oxygen only being granted in credits is quite horrifying but given the things you have to pay for nowadays, it's hardly surprising to see this depicted in the future. I really liked the Doctor's thoughts about a distress call and the way he goaded Nardole into joining them on the trip to space was terrific. I loved how he was the one that gave Nardole strict instructions to see that he stayed on Earth and guarded the vault but now he was letting them off. The scene with the fluid link was wonderful with it being a nice little nod to the past as well as a scene of comic value. Matt Lucas has had a fleeting role thus far in the series but here he gets his proper chance to shine and he's quite brilliant. Bill's reaction to first seeing space was fantastic and I thought she had a really great episode. I've really liked her and it's quite nice to be able to watch her without the feeling of her being new. It certainly offers a new perspective which is nice. The suits were rather scary, especially with the deceased's bodies still in them, and that head tilt really was rather frightening. It was something I definitely approved of and I was quite glad that a scene made Gemma jump! She's still taking some convincing when it comes to Peter Capaldi and this era though which is a bit of a shame. The scene where Bill's helmet is removed by her suit with the imminent exposure to a vacuum looming was incredible. I thought the directing was magnificent and we didn't fully know what was happening, or at least to what extent. Bill couldn't hold her breath or she'd die and to her credit she didn't. She found a helmet from somewhere and of course, it was the Doctor who sacrificed himself for her. The effects were obvious as he was blinded and the scene where he gloated about his circumstances and said how unbearable he'd be was one of my very favourite moments for the Twelfth Doctor. Him being able to save the day whilst blind was great and I loved how he made his and the crew's imminent deaths expensive. They were kept alive because it made financial sense. I really liked that. The episode's unexpected ending with the Doctor proclaiming he was still blind was very good and I really liked that Gemma was shocked by it too. Overall, a brilliant episode!

Rating: 9/10